Patrick James Light (born March 29, 1991) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

and

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

Amateur career

Pat Light attended Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.Shore Conference history. As a senior in 2009, Light led CBA to the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship, throwing a complete-game 4–1 victory in the title game against

Don Bosco Preparatory High School Don Bosco Preparatory High School (Don Bosco Prep) is a private, all-boys Catholic high school from ninth through twelfth grades. Founded in 1915 as a boarding school for Polish boys, by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious community of pr ...

. He also helped CBA win two Class A North division titles during his time there. Light earned two First Team All-Shore selections and was named Third Team All-State by ''The Star-Ledger'' in his senior season. The

selected Light in the 28th round of the

2009 Major League Baseball draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

, but he opted to attend

Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its university charter, c ...

, where he pitched from 2010 to 2012. He compiled a 14–14 record, 3.84 ERA, and 196 strikeouts across 39 appearances. He was ranked #53 on ''Baseball America’s'' preseason Top 100 list of 2012 draft prospects. In summer 2010, Light was named an All-Star in the

New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June ...

(NECBL) while pitching for the

Newport Gulls The Newport Gulls are a wooden-bat, collegiate summer baseball team based in Newport, Rhode Island. The Newport Gulls Baseball Club is a member of the Coastal Division of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Since 2001, the Gulls have pla ...

. In 2011, he played for the

Chatham Anglers The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

Professional career

Boston Red Sox

The

selected Light in the first round (37th overall) of the

2012 MLB draft The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...

. Light made his professional debut in 2012 with the Short-Season A

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major Leagu ...

, where he posted a 0–2 record with a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 27 hits and five walks, while striking out 30 in innings of work. He then joined the Low A

Greenville Drive The Greenville Drive are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greenville, South Carolina. They are the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and are a member of the South Atlantic League. They play their home games at Fluor Field at the West E ...

in 2013, but suffered a partial tear in his right hamstring that was initially misdiagnosed before all-but-ending his season in early June. He returned in late August for a rehab assignment with the GCL Red Sox, where he pitched six innings of shutout ball in three appearances. Being limited to innings at Greenville, he went 1–4 with 28 strikeouts and an ERA of 8.06. Light returned to Greenville in 2014 and earned a promotion to the High-A

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, Virginia, Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Car ...

during the midseason. He went 8–6 with a 4.83 ERA in 25 starts between Greenville and Salem, striking out 76 batters while walking 37 in innings. After making 49 starts over his first three seasons, Light was told he would be changing roles and throwing out of the bullpen when he reported to Double-A

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...

to open the 2015 season. With the Red Sox relief pitchers finishing last in fastball average velocity in 2014, and giving another hard-throwing prospect

Matt Barnes Matt Kelly Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies an ...

a chance as a reliever, the organization decided to increase velocity out of the bullpen more than it had before. Light delivered a solid start to his 2015 season after being moved to the bullpen. He regularly reached 94–96 mph with his heavy fastball, reportedly touched 100 mph at times, and reintroduced a splitter, which he had used successfully before being drafted in 2012. As a result, Light went 1–1 with a 2.43 ERA and three saves in 21 games at Double-A Portland, allowing 11 walks and striking out 32 in innings, while holding opponents to a .168 batting average. He then earned a promotion to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

in the month of June. Light was 3–5 with five saves and a 3.88 ERA in the two stints, totaling innings pitched to go with 67 strikeouts and 37 walks. Light opened 2016 at Pawtucket. He was promoted to the Boston Red Sox on April 24. After giving up six runs, including two home runs, in a July 2 game against the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

, he was demoted back to Pawtucket.

Minnesota Twins

On August 1, 2016, the

traded Pat Light to the

in exchange for veteran left-handed reliever Fernando Abad. Light made his debut with the Twins on August 7, 2016, pitching two innings against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

and allowing two earned runs. He appeared in a total of 15 games for Minnesota during the 2016 season, posting a 5.94 ERA and 16 strikeouts across 16.2 innings. Despite his high-velocity fastball, Light struggled with command and consistency during his stint in the majors. On February 6, 2017, he was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Twins to make room on the 40-man roster for infielder Ehire Adrianza.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Three days later, on February 9, 2017, Light was traded to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

, where he pitched in 18 games and recorded a 3.76 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 26.1 innings. However, his control issues persisted, leading to his designation for assignment by the Pirates on June 10, 2017.

Seattle Mariners

On June 17, 2017, Light was claimed off waivers by the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

and assigned to the Triple-A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

. He appeared in 11 games for Tacoma, recording a 5.68 ERA. Despite flashes of potential, his struggles with command and effectiveness against left-handed hitters limited his progress. Light was released by the Mariners organization on April 19, 2018, effectively ending his affiliated professional baseball career.

Player profile

Pat Light was known for his power arm and imposing presence on the mound, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds. His primary weapon was a heavy four-seam fastball that consistently ranged from , and at times touched as high as on radar guns during workouts and professional scouting showcases. His fastball featured good riding action and late life, making it difficult for batters to square up. Complementing his fastball, Light had a developing slider in the high 80s and a split-finger fastball that served as his main off-speed pitch. Scouts noted the split-finger as an emerging out pitch, particularly effective against left-handed hitters. Though initially used as a starter at Monmouth, Light was widely projected to transition to a bullpen role in professional baseball. Analysts believed his high-velocity arsenal, paired with occasional command issues and effort in his delivery, made him an ideal candidate for a late-inning reliever role—either as a setup man or potential closer. His ability to generate strikeouts in short bursts and intimidate hitters with raw velocity earned him comparisons to hard-throwing relievers like Craig Kimbrel and Trevor Rosenthal in his minor league evaluations.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Light, Pat 1991 births Living people Boston Red Sox players Chatham Anglers players Christian Brothers Academy (New Jersey) alumni Criollos de Caguas players Greenville Drive players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Indianapolis Indians players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente pitchers Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Monmouth University alumni Monmouth Hawks baseball players Pawtucket Red Sox players Sportspeople from Colts Neck Township, New Jersey Portland Sea Dogs players Rochester Red Wings players Salem Red Sox players Baseball players from Monmouth County, New Jersey Tacoma Rainiers players